Month: February 2013

The dolphin drive hunt in Taiji has finally come to an end for 2012-2013 season, however Japan is unfortunately still on their quest of killing whales. The war currently being played out in Antarctica has the Japanese attempting to harpoon and kill whales in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary under the guise of “research” and for commercial purpose.

Sea Shepherd volunteers are currently risking their lives for the whales, as can be seen in the following video.

It is alarming that the Japanese whalers will go to such lengths in their attempt to continue whaling in Antarctica. This is simply a display of no regard for the safety of other human beings. I have watched every season of Whale Wars and am still astonished at what is currently happening! It is highly reminiscent of when the Japanese whalers intentionally ran over and ending up sinking the Ady Gil. You can see in the following video how the Japanese vessel intentionally turns into the Ady Gil, thankfully no one was injured.

The Nisshin Maru repeatedly ramming all Sea Shepherd vessels is an immediate cause for concern especially for the many courageous volunteers aboard all Sea Shepherd vessels currently putting their live on the line to save whales! Thankfully everyone is currently safe and no injuries have been reported.

Via Sea Shepherd New Zealand Zero Tolerance Update. “All attempts by the Nisshin Maru to refuel yesterday failed. The Sea Shepherd ships held their ground. All attempts to kill whales yesterday failed thanks to our inflatable crews intervening. No refuelling or whaling today because it is extremely bad weather, freezing sleet, high winds, heavy seas. Good for us, bad for them. We love bad weather down here and thankfully there is a lot of it and it will become worse each day until the conditions force the poachers from the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary by the Ides of March. The Japanese Defence Force ship Shirase is keeping their distance. The Steve Irwin and the Bob Barker continue to tail the Nisshin Maru and the Sam Simon continues to tail the tanker Sun Laurel. The Shonan Maru and the three killer boats are scattered about, everybody just wasting fuel and going nowhere which works for us. As intense and as tough as this campaign has become, it is also the most effective season we have ever undertaken. Last year they took 26% of their kill quota. The year before that they took only 17% of their kill quota and this year it will be much lower than 17%. These poachers are going to have a very light load to take back to Japan and their efforts will be once again – a financial disaster”

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It’s OFFICIAL … the slaughter season Sept 1, 2012 to February 25, 2013 is finally over! And what a relief that it has finally come to an end, as reported by the Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians currently on the ground in Taiji.

The killers take down “death door” of the Taiji butcher house, where hundreds of dolphins and pilot whale bodies were dragged through and then dismantled for human consumption.

Photo credit SSCS Cove Guardians

Photo credit SSCS Cove Guardians

Then then the clean up inside begins … washing away blood, that was still present on the kill floor.

Photo credit SSCS Cove Guardians

While the dolphin drive season has ended, the killing unfortunately does continue year round. Some boats, such as the one seen below are dry docked and maintenanced. The dolphin killers remove the banger poles but leave them inside the boat to use during the off season. The killing boats are permitted to hunt pilot whales until May and also assist local fisherman with harpooning dolphins during the offseason.

Photo credit SSCS Cove Guardians

Even though the 2012-2013 hunt season has officially come to an end … I will not be able to forget the many dolphins taken captive this season who are deemed to live out their lives in a small pool performing tricks for survival, food and most of all … Human Entertainment.

Photo credit SSCS Cove Guardians

Now only one net remains at the cove and this is the view a tourist would see from the view. What a beautiful place this could be if it were not for the thousands of dolphins inhumanely slaughtered here each and every year.

Photo credit SSCS Cove Guardians

In the summer months, the infamous cove is filled with people. How someone would be able to swim in the waters of this dark ominous place baffles me. Perhaps it is because they unaware of what occurs here each year between September and March, but then again maybe they are aware? I’ll leave that debate up to all of you.

What is also heartbreaking is that there is often a captive dolphin taken to the cove. This unfortunate dolphin has to return to the place where it’s life was forever changed after witnessing the slaughter of the majority of it’s podmates and then being torn from a life of freedom in the wide open ocean.

Perhaps it appears that people are having a good time, but really, look at that Risso dolphin … terrified and alone surrounded by unfamiliar people in an all too familiar place that represents the horror of Taiji!

“Confining marine animals to tanks and separating them from their families and their natural surroundings, just so people can watch them swim in endless circles, teaches us far more about humans than it does about animals – and the lesson is not a flattering one” Pamela Anderson

On 22 February 2013 there will be an International Taiji Action Day for Dolphins and many cities all over the world will be hosting peaceful protests outside Japanese Embassies.

Those of us who do not live near a Japanese Embassy are participating in an online protest. While it’s not quite February 22 here where I live, I know its already February 22 and mid morning in Taiji already so why not get this online protest started!

The Taiji Action Day for Dolphins 2013 Online Protest on Facebook provided all the information needed to participate in the protest. And simple enough it was, download the four posters provided (or create your own) take a photo of yourself holding the poster and email it to taijiactionday2013@gmail.com prior to February 28. They will forward the messages to Japan and the Fisherman’s Union and the Olympic Committee so that they hear our voices LOUD and CLEAR!

In addition to this I will also be forwarding my message to the Japanese Embassy in Ottawa Canada: H.E. The Ambassador, Mr. Kaoru Ishikawa, Embassy of Japan in Canada, 255 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 9E6, Canada Tel: 613-241-8541, Fax: 613-241-7415, Email: infocul@embjapan.ca

When I initially heard about the online protest I knew instantly that I would be participating and then I was thought how I could manage to get more people involved and create a greater awareness of this great cause? I decided to mention it to my co-workers and pleasantly surprised when all of them did not even hesitate at the chance to participate as well. So in the end I was an initial voice for the dolphins and managed to bring along 9 of my friends who are also my co-workers! A huge thank you to all of the women I work with on a daily basis at Capital Corner Dental!! It means the world to me that all these women took the time to participate in a cause that is very dear to my heart! You should all be proud of yourselves for being a voice for the dolphins!

Lovin

Renae

Mel

Carynne

Lexie

Kelsey

Ashley

Amy

Jen

Of course I could not forget or resist including my dog, Abby, who is also proud to be a voice for the dolphins!

Abby

And lastly, myself, the person behind Voice for the Blue and I will always be a voice for the dolphins!!

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Excellent news today of a Blue Cove for 4 consecutive days!! However, before we celebrate let’s not forget about the dolphins being held captive in the Taiji Harbor pens.

These dolphins have been ripped from a life with their families, most having just witnessed the majority if not all of their pod being slaughtered within the cove. Now, they are confined to a life of imprisonment and to solely provide entertainment for humans.

How heartbreaking is to see this dolphin starring out of the nets at the open ocean? Confined to a harbor pen that in reality is probably not much larger than my kitchen! Those dolphins taken into captivity go from having the entire ocean as their daily playground, to spending the rest of their lives in a tiny pen, tank or pool!

At first glance it may appear to those who are unfamiliar with this situation that these dolphins are enjoying themselves, having fun, playing, etc. But let me ask you this … do you know why a dolphin goes from starring out of the net of the that tiny pen, to suddenly jumping up and down? Why is it that dolphins in captivity perform the tricks they do?

The answer is plain and simple … not because they want to entertain us … because they have to in order to survive and be fed. The dolphins held in the Taiji Harbor pens are only fed twice a day and only if they perform for the trainers. Whereas, in the wild an adult dolphin will eat anywhere from 22-50 lbs. of fish per day.

I want to share with you a brilliant analogy of the training of a captive dolphin to training your dog to sit or stay.

“Can you imagine your neighbor was trying to teach his dog to sit. He would starve him for a good two weeks and then he would continue to deprive the dog of food and the dog would ONLY get food if he sat, or rolled over or jumped up and down on command. You would probably call this neighbor sick and report him to the SPCA. This is the ‘natural’ process of ‘breaking in’ a wild Dolphin so we humans can go watch them perform for us for a few bucks at the local aquarium or dolphinarium.” Grant Nash (who is currently in Taiji with the Cove Guardians)

I know that most people would never agree that training a dog this way is any way humane, so why is that some people support a local aquarium or dolphinarium? My belief is that for the most part people are completely unaware of how that dolphin you see at a place like Sea World, was trained, where it came from and how many other dolphins were slaughtered the same day that one dolphin you are watching was ripped from it’s family in the bloody waters of the Cove.

While a Blue Cove day in Taiji is always excellent news and 4 consecutive blue cove days even better news, today I will celebrate a Blue Cove while never forgetting the dolphins still imprisoned in the Taiji Harbor Pens.

Given the fact that I live in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada I unfortunately do not have the opportunity to attend in person one the many Global Taiji Action Days coming up on February 22, 2013. Call of the Cove tweeted yesterday that there be would an online protest to participate and I was thrilled to have the chance to be involved with this day!

If you are unable to attend one of the many world wide Global Taiji Action Days then I suggest you check out Taiji Action Day for Dolphins 2013 Online Protest on Facebook. All the information is there on what to do and it is fairly simple and easy!

Mention it to your co-workers or friends … who knows they might just be willing to join in and take a stand for the dolphins of Taiji! All I had to do was mention it at work and was pleasantly surprised with how many people did not hesitate to participate!